Media Literacy Messages and Hostile Media Perceptions: Processing of Nonpartisan Versus Partisan Political Information

Partisans are poor judges of news content, rating neutral content as biased against their views (the hostile media perception) and forgiving biased content when it favors their side. This study tests whether a short news media literacy public service announcement (PSA) appearing before political programming can influence credibility and hostility ratings of the program and program host. Our findings suggest that a media literacy PSA can be effective, but its impact depends on the position of the news program and on the political ideology of the viewers. In this case, the media literacy PSA only influenced conservatives’ evaluations of the political program, improving perceptions of a neutral or congruent (conservative) host while further depressing ratings of an incongruent (liberal) host. Liberals’ evaluations of the program were unaffected by the PSA. Implications for media literacy messaging and information processing are discussed.     

Where Is My Issue? The Influence of News Coverage and Personal Issue Importance on Subsequent Information Selection on the Web

Researchers believe that the Web functions to supplement traditional news media. Little is known, however, about how traditional news media consumption influences Web use patterns. This study investigates how prior TV news exposure influences individuals' subsequent Web use by testing 3 theories that may explain individuals' information selection patterns—accessibility, instrumental utility, and personal issue importance. The results of this study reveal the strong effects of personal issue importance when selecting information on the Web, regardless of news coverage in traditional media. The findings also indicate higher levels of information selection when there is no prior exposure to news coverage.     

The Media,the Medium,and Malaise: Assessing the Effects of Campaign Media Exposure with Panel Data

In this article we extend recent work on exposure to campaign advertisements, comparing the effects of television ads, radio ads, and campaign-related e-mails using an unusual panel data set that provides information on multiple media sources. Our findings, which control for the endogeneity problem that has plagued much work in political communications, confirm that media exposure does affect citizen attitudes. We also find additional evidence that the medium matters, with exposure to television ads tending to undermine system-supporting attitudes, whereas exposure to radio ads has an overall positive effect; contrary to expectations, the “new medium” of campaign e-mails had no discernible effect.     

How does duplicate tweeting boost social media exposure to scholarly articles?

Duplicate tweeting is a kind of behavior that a user posts the same or substantially similar original tweets to one or several topics multiple times in a row, which is commonly used to boost social media exposure to online information. However, how this behavior boosts social media exposure to online information, especially to scientific publications, is still unclear. In this study, we use the number of retweets an article received as a proxy for social media exposure to the article. Based on the duplicate tweeting records of 12,263 users on Twitter from 2011 to 2017, we find that social media exposure to scholarly articles has a significant marginal effect as the number of duplicate tweeting (k) increases. It ramps up a peak value when k is between 2 and 4 and goes down when k takes a greater value. We also find that a longer posting interval can sharply reduce social media exposure to scholarly articles, and posting non-duplicate content can significantly improve the exposure. Our findings not only help scientists and journal publishers effectively improve the social impact of their research outputs but also advance the understanding of the diffusion processes of scholarly articles.     

Information source and advertising content preferences of American and Japanese youth

This study compared American and Japanese youth preferences for information sources and advertising content within the context of their respective cultures’ relationship and communication values. It found larger parental involvement and smaller media use for Japanese students. In an interesting reversal from cultural expectations, Japanese students ranked advertising as the most important information source and family as considerably less important, while American students did the opposite. Friends, not family, were the important interpersonal information source for the Japanese. Japanese consumers of the ‘90s may be ‘holonic’: able to be both individualistic and in harmony with groups important to them. The Japanese youth preferences for advertising content—indirect, symbolic, visual, emotional, with infrequent brand identification—were more in line with expectations.     

Risk,affect, and policy support: public perception of air pollution in China

Air pollution is a critical environmental problem that has spurred great public concern in China. This study examines how issue salience, environmental value, risk perception, and affective response influence information seeking, objective knowledge, and policy support related to this issue. The recent release of a controversial environmental documentary on Chinese social media, Under the Dome, also prompted us to explore the impact of exposure to this documentary on Chinese social media users’ information seeking and policy support related to air pollution. Results showed that risk perception and negative affect influenced information seeking and policy support both directly and indirectly. Also, exposure to the documentary moderated the effects of key variables on information seeking and policy support. However, contrary to our expectations, no significant relationship was found between information seeking and objective knowledge. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.     

网络流言传播的动力学机制分析

传统的有关谣言的研究主要是针对口传媒介而言的。口传媒介与网络媒介在传播中的最大区别在于:口头传播的对象是确定的和人格化的,传受双方的关系明确,他们之间在传言之际伴随着包含大量情感投入的人格互动,因此,一则信息的信度是信息内容信度和信源信度的综合结果。网络公共空间上的传言对象往往是不确定的和非人格化的,因此,网络流言的信源信度主要和其内容本身的信度相关,而与传播者的人格无关。同时,由于人格互动的缺乏,人们往往缺少在网上发言的动力(因为网上没有人会指名点姓要你发言),因此,网民要参与流言传播必须具备比口传环境中更强大的动机,只有在特别而且强烈的触动下人们才会在互联网上奔走相告。基于此,本文通过一系列案例分析和调查实验验证了如下假设:一,只有那些符合接受者心理预期并与认知结构相匹配的信息才可能被认为有信度;二,不满情绪的宣泄是非人格互动环境下表达意见的主要动力;三,涉及社会重大利益关切或触动社会主要矛盾的信息才会引起互联网上的集合性行为。     

档案信息互动的在线传播媒介与内容分析

[目的]获取当前档案信息互动现状,为档案部门提升档案利用水平提供参考依据。[方法]以49个副省级以上档案机构为调查对象,统计分析档案网站、微博和微信公众号三种在线传播媒介的互动情况,并构建互动数据集,利用文本分析技术获取档案网站互动内容的真实交互主题。[结果]在传播媒介方面,不同媒介的互动特点存在显著差异,网站媒介发展平稳,体现出双向交流的沟通者作用,微博和微信媒介的互动分别处于下降和上升态势,扮演了档案信息的播报者和宣传者角色。在传播内容方面,典型互动主题可分为个人发展类、业务指导类和查询借阅类三大主题。[结论]档案网站是档案用户与管理机构之间双向互动的最重要媒介,对互动内容的文本分析有助于发现真实的用户需求。     

信息环境与个性化信息服务的思考

随着网络技术的飞跃发展,信息量激剧增长,更新频率越来越快,用户对信息服务的质量要求也更高,高校图书馆必须以用户为出发点,营造一个机制更加开放,从满足用户需求到超越用户期望的个性化信息环境,提供个性化信息服务。     

Automatic evaluation of digital libraries with 5SQual

Digital libraries (DLs) are complex information systems which can present changes in their structure, content, and services. These complexities and dynamics make system maintenance a non-trivial task, since it requires periodical evaluation of the different DL components. Generally, these evaluations are customized per system and are performed only when problems occur and administrator intervention is required. This work aims to change the situation. We present 5SQual, a tool which provides ways to perform automatic and configurable evaluations of some of the most important DL components, among them, digital objects, metadata, and services. The tool implements diverse numeric indicators that are associated with eight quality dimensions described in the 5S quality model. Its generic architecture was developed to be applicable to various DLs and scenarios. In sum, the main contributions of this work include: (i) the design and implementation of 5SQual, a tool that validates a theoretical DL quality model; (ii) the demonstration of the applicability of the tool in several usage scenarios; and (iii) the evaluation (with usability specialists) of its graphical interface specially designed to guide the configuration of 5SQual evaluations. We also present the results of interviews conducted with administrators of real DLs regarding their expectations and opinions about 5SQual.     

Voices and Choices: Critical Information/Media Literacy and Behrman’s Practices

ABSTRACT

Studies on information and media literacy focus on describing activities and frameworks individually, and most of the time, connect within the field of library science. However, other frameworks and practices can be used. This case study presents the application of Behrman’s Critical Literacy Practices to information and media literacy to engage students to think critically about information within their field of study. The purpose of this research is to model the information behavior of education students through the perspective of constructivist learning. The study used a qualitative method with six upper-level undergraduate education majors. Activities that comprise practices and theories in both education and library sciences are presented to form a continuous exposure to critical thinking. Factors that influenced how students perceived the validity of information came from personal, educational, and societal factors. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion about critical thinking skills in undergraduate students, presenting a model that describes how practices from other fields can be used and incorporated with information and media literacy.     

Sex and Sexuality in Entertainment Media Popular With Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Media may serve as important sexual socialization agents for lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents who often have limited interpersonal resources from which to garner sexual information. A content analysis was conducted on a sample of television programs, films, magazines, and music popular with LGB youth to quantify the sexual messages LGB youth encounter in the media. Results suggest that heterosexuality is overrepresented and LGB sexualities are underrepresented in media popular with LGB adolescents. When depicted, LGB sexual talk was often talk about stereotypes or insults/jokes related to sexuality and rarely about relationships or sex. LGB sexual behaviors were nearly nonexistent. LGB sexual talk seems to be increasing in entertainment television, but LGB sexual behaviors have remained relatively rare over time. Findings are discussed in terms of the possible effects of exposure on LGB youth relying on media for information about sex and sexuality during sexual socialization.     

A social identity approach to understanding the impact of television messages

Based on the postulates of social identity theory (SIT), this study examined the relationship between exposure to stereotypical media messages regarding race/ethnicity and subsequent social judgments. Specifically, the association between Whites' evaluations of self and other (Latino) as a result of varying media content pertaining to criminality stereotypes was investigated. The findings were partially consistent with the posited relationships. As predicted, negatively stereotypical racial depictions in mediated messages were found to be significantly associated with social judgments. Only limited support, however, was provided for the predictions that increasing levels of racial identification would be related to increased ingroup favoritism, or that esteem would be enhanced from this mediated process of intergroup comparison.     

Knowledge Gap,Information-Seeking and the Poor

The purpose of this chapter is to address the issues of information seeking behavior within a context of an information poor life style. Several factors can be attributed to an information poor world. For example, it is one in which the mass media are not viewed as providers of useful information. Moreover, this is a world in which there is a parsimony of helpful interpersonal channels. Thus, both formal and personal sources are devoid of everyday practical information of the kind that is needed by poor people. In addressing reasons to explain this phenomenon, knowledge gap theory is examined. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that, although the mass media are perceived as sources of information for some (the "media rich"), they do not respond to the needs of the poor. Unfortunately, the role that interpersonal sources might play in this process, have not been adequately addressed by knowledge gap researchers.     

The Role of Engagement in Learning From Active and Incidental News Exposure on Social Media

The growing reliance on social media as news platforms may lead to more passive news consumption but also offers greater potential for engaging in news. This study investigates the role of engagement with news content on Facebook and Twitter between news exposure and current events knowledge. An online survey (N = 400) tests the relationships between social media news seeking, incidental exposure to news on social media, engagement in shared news content, cognitive elaboration, and current events knowledge. The results show that both active seeking of and incidental exposure to news on both sites are linked to engagement, which is linked to greater cognitive elaboration about the content. Furthermore, engagement mediates the relationship between both types of news exposure and cognitive elaboration. However, engagement and elaboration are not related to knowledge. These results indicate that the key role of social media in news content is not knowledge gain but the ability to engage users who may be passively receiving news on these sites. This study extends the cognitive mediation model of learning from the news in the context of current social media, with updated news consumption norms such as engagement with news on these sites, and incidental news exposure.     

How college students evaluate and share “fake news” stories

The spread of “fake news” stories online has become a pressing concern in the United States and around the world in recent years. Social media platforms enable the rapid spread of such misinformation and also make evaluating the credibility of online information more difficult. Since college students are frequent users of social media, they are particularly likely to be exposed to fake news. A survey was conducted with 63 undergraduate students in which they identified and evaluated examples of both fake and real news stories and reported their associated information behaviors. Results showed correlations between accurate identification of fake news stories and specific critical evaluation behaviors and strategies. However, students were unable to accurately evaluate their own skills, and their willingness to share fake news stories on social media was not related to accurate identifications or evaluations of trustworthiness. This study contributes to the understanding of not just how accurately students evaluate fake news stories, but of the specific information-seeking behaviors and critical evaluation strategies that are associated with accurate identifications and evaluations and with willingness to share news stories on social media. Implications for educators and directions for future research are discussed.     

影响读者服务质量的几种差异分析

阐述了服务及服务质量的特点，针对图书馆的读服务分析了影响读服务质量的几种差异：读对服务的期望同图书馆对读期望的理解之间的差异；图书馆对读期望的理解同图书馆制定的服务质量标准之间的差异；图书馆制定的服务质量标准同图书馆实际提供的服务质量之间的差异；图书馆实际提供的服务质量同图书馆宣传所描述的能提供的服务质量之间的差异；以及读对服务的期望同实际得到的服务的感受之间的差异。并指出了这五种差异产生的原因，为改进读服务质量提供参考。     

Media exposure and appraisal: Phase II,tests of a model in Nigeria

This study represents the second phase of a programmatic research effort designed to test a model of media exposure and appraisal. One of the distinguishing features of the model is that it attempts to link directly individual evaluations of a particular medium to exposure and appraisal. In the model three independent variables, editorial tone, communication potential, and utility, are posited to determine exposure and appraisal. This model was tested with two readership surveys of magazines distributed in Nigeria. While the model provided a good fit to the data, the results suggested that a contingency approach, based on specific attributes of a medium and situational factors, may be necessary to account for the effects of specific patterns of media exposure and appraisal.